Electrical apparatus



May 20,- 1930. i R FEH 1,759,106

ELECTRI CAL APPARATUS Filed July 20. 1926 Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN RALPH FEHR, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-LIGHT COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Application filed July 20,

The present invention relates to electrical generating systems including a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, a storage battery, and electrical apparatus adapted to associated wit-l1 the battery for starting the prime mover and supplying current to a work circuit, and more particularly to generating systems of the type having means for starting from a low-voltage battery and for normally supplying current to the work circuit at a higher voltage.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide control mechanism for rendering the electrical apparatus operative for supplying current to a work circuit whenever there is a demand for current in the work circuit.

Another object is to provide a novel arrangement of the elements of control mechanism and. circuits to perform the foregoing function.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

The figure of the drawing is a wiring diagram illustrating the present invention.

In the drawing, 20 designates a prime mover, herein shown as an internal-combustion engine having a shaft 21 which drives a relatively high-voltage generator 22 having main brushes 23 and 24 connected with the armature of the generator, and having a series field winding 25 and a shunt field winding 26. t

The engine is started by a relatively lowvoltage series motor 27, which is normally disconnected from the engine, but which may be connected therewith for cranking the same. As various devices for automatically connecting and disconnecting the starting motor are well-known to those skilled in the art, illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary. One form of mechanical connection which may be used with this invention is described and claimed in the copending application of Frank F. Starr, Serial No. 47,717, filed August 3, 1925. I

1926. Serial No. 123,748.

The engine ignition apparatus comprises an ignition coil primary 30, an ignition timer 31 and an ignition coil secondary 32 which is connected with an engine spark plug 33.

The relatively high-voltage work circuit, which is supplied by generator 22, includes wire 40, contacts 41 and 42, wire 43, lowresistance current coil 44 of a stopping switch 45, wire 46, electrical translating devices, such as lamps 47, each of which is controlled bv switch 48, wire 49, series field 25 and wire 50.

The battery charging circuit includes wire 40, contacts 41 and 52, wires 53 and 54, a relativcly low-voltage battery 55, wire 56, magnet frame 57, armature 58, contacts 59 and 60 of stopping switch 45, a voltage-reducing resistance 61 and wire 62.

To start the engine automatically in response to a demand for current in the work circuit, one of the switches 48 is closed, thereby causing current to flow from the lowvoltage battery or source of current 55 through the following circuit: wire 54, mag net coil 65 of a starting switch relay 66, wire 67, coil 44, wire 46, lamp 47, switch 48, field 25, wires 50 and 62, resistance 61, contacts 60 and 59, armature 58, frame 57 and Wire 56. It will be noted that the low-voltage battery 55 is connected across the high-voltage work circuit containing the high-voltage translating device 47 and since such translating devices are of relatively high resistance, the current flowing in the circuit is small. Such current flowing through winding 44 of stop ping switch 45 is insufficient to actuate the latter but it does cause actuation of the starting switch relay 66, thereby drawing the plunger thereof upwardly to connect movable armature or contact 71 with contacts 72 and 7 3. lVhen contact 71 engages contact 72, current will flow from the battery through the magnet coil 74 of starting switch- 75 and which includes a plunger 76 which, when moved up, will cause contact 77 toengage 78. The circuit between the battery and the magnet coil 74 is as follows battery 55, wires 54 and 53, coil 74, wire 80, contacts 81 and 82, wire 83, stationary contact 84, contact e 86, onta ts 2 and, 7 nd wires;

87 and 88. The closing of contacts 77 and 78 will establish the cranking circuit which may be traced from one side of battery through wire 54, motor 27, wire 90, contact 78, contact 77 which is pivoted at terminal 91, and wire 88 to the other side of battery 55. The closing of contacts 71 and 72 will also close an ignition circuit to connect the ignition coil primary 30 and timer 3.1 across the battery, the timer being connected by wire 54 to one side 01 the battery, and primary 30 being connected by wire 92 to the wire 83, which, as already described, is connected through con tacts 72 and 71 with the opposite side of the battery. Thus the engine will be started by supplying ignition thereto and by cranking the engine by the starting motor 27.

After contact 71 engages contact 72 it ill engage contact 73 to establish a circuitto magnet coil 94 of stop Jing switch 45. Stop ping switch 45 includes an armature 95;, which is pivoted at 96 to the frame 57 and is adapted to cause contact 97 to engage 98 when the switch is energized, The circuit to the coil 94 includes wires 54 and 53, coil 94, wire 100, contacts 73 and 71, and wires 87 and 88. Contact 97 will then engage contact 98 for establishing a second ignition circuit which may be traced from the positive side of the battery 55, through wire 54, timer 31, primary ignition coil 30, wires 92 and 83, contacts 84, 85, wires 86, 101, contacts 98, 97, frame 57 and wire 56 to the negative side of battery 55. This ignition circuit through contacts 97 and 98 is in parallel with the ignition circuit through contacts 72 and 71, and provides an alternative ignition circuit to maintain the engine operative after the ignition circuit through contacts 71 and 72 is broken, as will be hereinafter described.

If, after connecting the starting motor 27 with the battery for cranking the engine, and the latter should not become self-actuating within a certain length of time, depletion of the battery is prevented by the cranking cutout 102 which includes contacts 84 and 85. The contact 85 is attached to a lever 103 which is pivoted at 104 and is urged upwardly by a spring 105. Upward movement of lever 103 is normally restrained by its engagement with the lower end of a bimetallic thermostat blade 106 which is fixed at 107. The blade 106 is in heat-receiving rela ion to a heating coil 108, which latter is connected across the battery terminals, one end of the heat-ing coil 108 being connected by wire 109 with Wire 54 and the other end with wire 90, as shown. The cranking cut-out 102 is thus connected in parallel with the motor 27 during engine cranking, and if the c ing of the engine should continue for an abnormal period, the bimetallic blade 106 will be heated sufliciently to cause it to bow toward the left, as viewed in the drawing, until the lower end of the blade 100 moves aast the shoulder 110 of lever 103. When this occurs, the lever 103 moves upwardly under the action of spring 105 to separate contact 85 from contact 84, thus interrupting the current to the ignition coil 30 and to the magnet coil 74 of the starting switch 7 5. De-encrgization ot the starting switch permits plunger 7 to descend by gravity to move contact 77 out of engagement with contact 78, thereby opening the starting circuit through starting motor 27, and also opening the circuit through heating coil 108.

Should the engine become sell-operative before the cranking cut-out operates, as just described, the engine cranking circuit will be interrupted bya stop-cranking relay 112, which includes contacts 81 and 82, a magnet 113, and a magnetizable plunger 114 operatively connected with contact 82. The relay winding 113 is normally connected across the terminals of generator 22 and when the generator voltage of the latter reaches a certain value (less than normal), the magnet 113 will be energized sufficiently to attract the plunger 114 to separate contact 82 from contact 81. hen this occurs the circuit between the battery 55 and the winding 74 of the starting switch 75 will be interrupted, thereby permitting the plunger 76 to descend and the contact 77 to separate from contact 78, thus interruptii'ig the cranking circuit. Opening of the cranking circuit, of course, deprives the heating coil 108 of current; and, since the cranking cut-out can not now operate, engine ignition is maintained through contacts 84- and 85, as previously described.

It is to be understood that when relay 112 operates, the generator 22 is not yet up to full speed and full volta e, but when the generator does attain substantially its full relatively high voltage, load switch 115 will operate contact 41, causing it to engage contacts 42 and 52. Load switch 115 includes a magnet coil 116 normally connected across the terminals of generator 22 in parallel with coil 113 of relay 112; and, when the voltage across the terminals attains a certain value, coil 116 will be energized suiliciently to attract plunger 117 which is operatively connec ed with contact 41. The engagement of contact 41 with contact 52 will establish the battery charging circuit previously described. The engagement of contact 41 with contact 42 will establish the work circuit through the coil 44 of switch 45 as previously described.

Since opposite ends of wire 67 where it joins with wires 43 and 54 are now at substantially the same voltage, the current flow through coil 65 of relay 66 will be insufiicient to maintain the plunger 70 in raised position, and the latter will therefore drop to separate contact 71 from contacts 72 and 73. Separation of contacts 71 and 7 3, of course, opens the circuit through coil 94 of the stopping switch 45, but the armature of the latter does not drop out because the flow of high voltage cur rent through coi is sutlicient, even with the minimum load on the WOIK circuit, to main tain armature 95 in raised position and, consequently, the ignition circuit is maintained and controlled entirely through contacts 97 and 98. As long as current is being consumed in the work circuit, the coil 44 will maintain contacts 97 and 98 closed. But, as soon as the demand ceases in the work circuit the coil 44 will be de-energized and contact 97 will separate from contact 96 to interrupt the ignition circuit and thereby stop the engine and the charging operation.

Provision is made to disconnect the battery from the generator when the current demand in the work circuit increases to such a value that the combined load of the work circuit and the battery is equal to or exceeds the rated maximum output of the generator. This is accomplished by providing relay 45 with an armature 58 so constructed that it will be at tracted by the increasing magnetism of coil 44 to separate contact 59 from 60, thereby opening the battery charging circuit. 'The entire output 0]": the generator is now available tor the work circuit, but it is to be observed that as current demand in the work circuit and, consequently, the magnetism in the coil 44, decreases, the armature 58 will be released and permitted to re-establish the charging circuit.

It is apparent that a system has been provided in which the prime-mover-control device, such as the ignition circuit of an internal-combustion engine, is rendered operable by one relay and is maintained operable and stopped by a second relay or switch. The arrangenient of the system is such that the latter switch may be made relatively small. The system is so arranged that the switch may be closed by a line winding coil and only such numbe of coarse wire turns need be provided as are necessary for maintaining said switch closed; and, since only a few coarse wire turns are necessary, the switch may be made relatively small.

It will be observed, also, from the foregoin g description, that the low-voltage battery is connected through resistance 61 with th high-voltage work circuit 46, 49 during the entire period of non-operation of the engine and during the period of engine operation under normal load.

Vhile the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Vhat is claimed is as follows:

1.. An electrical system comprising in combination, a prime mover, a storage battery, a work circuit, electrical apparatus connected with the prime mover and battery for starting the prime mover with current from the battery and for thereafter supplying current to the work circuit, a prime-mover-control device, plural control circuits for said device, a controller for rendering one of said control circuits operative, and an electromagnetically operated switch for closing another of said prime-movea*-control circuits by current from the battery, said switch including a controlcircuit-closing-coil energized by the battery, the circuit for said coil including contacts actuated by the controller, and means responsive to the operation of the prime mover for maintaining the second mentioned primemover-contrel circuit closed independently of said controller.

An electrical system comprising in com bination, a prime mover, a storage battery, a work circuit, electrical apparatus connected with the prime mover and battery for starting the prime mover with current from the batter y and for thereafter supplying current to the work circuit, a prime-inover-control device, plural control circuits for said device, a controller for rendering one of said control circuits operative, and an electromagnetically operated switch for closing another of said prime-movei=control circuits by current from the battery, said switch including a control-circuit-closing-coil energized by the battery, the circuitfor said coil including contacts actuated by the controller, said switch also including means responsive to current flow to the work circuit for maintaining the second mentioned prime-movercontrol circuit closed independently of the controller.

3. An electrical system comprising in combination, a prime mover, a storage battery, a work circuit, electrical apparatus connected with the prime mover and battery for starting the prime mover with current from the battery and for thereafter supplying current to the work circuit, a prime-movercontrol device, plural control circuits for said device, a controller for rendering one of said .rol circuits operative, and an electro- 5 ietically operated switch for closing anof said prime-n'ioveucontrol circuits by current from the battery, said switch including a control-circuit-closing-coil energized by the battery, the circuit for said coil including contacts actuated by the controller, said switch also including a current coil arranged in series relation with the work cir cuit and adapted when energized to thereafter maintain the second mentioned primemover-control circuit closed independently of said controller.

4. An electrical system comprising in combination, a prime mover, a storage battery, a work circuit, electrical apparatus connected with the prime mover and battery for starting the prime mover with current from the battery and for thereafter supplying current to the WOlk circuit, a prime-mover-control device, plural control circuits for said device, a controller for rendering one of said control circuits operative, an electromagnetically operated switch for closing another of said prime-mover-control circuits by current from the battery, said switch including acontrol-circuit-closing-coil energized by the battery, the circuit for said coil including contacts actuated by the controller, said switch also including a current coil arranged in series relation with the Work circuit and adapted when energized to thereafter maintain the second mentioned prime-mover-control circuit closed independently of said controller, and means for rendering said current coil operative and for rendering said controller inoperative. I

5. An electrical system comprising in combination, a prime mover, a storage battery, a Work circuit, electrical apparatus connected with the prime mover and battery for starting the prime mover With current from the battery and for thereafter supplying current to the Work circuit, a prime-movencontrol device, plural control circuits for said device, a controller for rendering one of said control circuits operative, an electromagnetically operatedswitch for closing another of said prime-move control circuits by current from the battery, said switch including a control-circuitclosing-coil energized by the battery, the circuit for said coil including contacts actuated by the controller, and means responsive to the operation of the prime mover for rendering the controller inoperative and for maintaining the second mentioned prime-mover-control circuit closed independently of said controller.

In testimony whereof I hereto ai'lix my signature.

JOHN RALPH FEHR. 

